COVID-19 and JACL operations and resources |
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JACL's physical offices remain closed. Staff continue to do the work of the organization remotely. Please direct all phone calls to our Washington, D.C. Office at (202) 223-1240 and we will get back to you as quickly as possible. Otherwise, we will all be available via email. All staff emails can be found HERE. You can also check our website, jacl.org, for updates and COVID-19 resources. You can view our resources page here. Stay safe everyone and we hope to see you all in person again soon. - JACL National Staff |
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Happy AANHPI Heritage Month! |
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This AANHPI Heritage Month, we celebrate the strength and resilience of our communities and we unite in solidarity with allies in the fight to Stop Asian Hate across the country. We belong, we are beautiful, and we will always work to spread love over hate. Thanks to our friends at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights for highlighting us and so many of our partner organizations for AANHPI Heritage Month! Be sure to check out all of our partner organizations listed above. You can also view the proclamation from the White House on AANHPI Heritage Month below! |
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Pre-Order your Go For Broke Stamps from USPS Today! |
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JACL: Legacy of the Japanese American Experience with Executive Director David Inoue, hosted by Chinese American Heritage Foundation |
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Friday, May 7th, 2021 at 8:00pmET/5:00pm PT The first Japanese immigrants arrived in the U.S. on May 7, 1843. This year celebrates the 178th Anniversary of Japanese Immigration to America.
The Japanese American experience is both unique and yet part of a shared American story. David Inoue, JACL Executive Director, will discuss how the Japanese American story fits in this context of history, as well as in the present. You can view the other 2021 AAPI Talks from the Chinese American Heritage Foundation here! |
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Meet the Author/Illustrator with Katie Yamasaki hosted by NY DOR Committee and JACL NY Chapter - May 8, 2021 |
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Join the JACL NY Chapter to celebrate Children's Day - a day set aside to respect and uplift children - with a special reading by author/illustrator Katie Yamasaki! She will be reading her book Fish for Jimmy, about one Japanese American family's story of love and devotion while incarcerated during World War II. Following the reading, Katie will lead a special art activity, raffle, and a Q&A with participants. Katie Yamasaki is a muralist, children's book author/illustrator, and teaching artist. She has painted over 80 walls in diverse communities around the work and is currently working on her eighth published book for children. To learn more about Katie Yamasaki, visit her website: https://www.katieyamasaki.com/
Please bring paper, pencils, colored pencils, crayons, markers. This event is ideal for children ages 5 - 11, but all are welcome! We also recommend you purchase your own copy of Fish for Jimmy! Please support your local bookstore. We suggest: https://www.greenlightbookstore.com/ |
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Healthcare.gov Available through August 15! |
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There’s a new Special Enrollment Period that allows you to sign up for or change health insurance through August 15, 2021, due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This Special Enrollment Period is available to residents of the 36 states that use HealthCare.gov. (If your state runs its own Marketplace, check their website. Most states are offering similar options to enroll.) After you fill out and submit your application at HealthCare.gov, you have 30 days to enroll in a plan. Coverage starts the first day of the month after you enroll. For example, if you enroll any time in March, your coverage starts on April 1. You may qualify to save money — most people do! In fact, 9 out of 10 people who enroll are eligible for savings. Millions more people can find plans for lower premiums due to the COVID relief law. In fact, 4 out of 5 can find a plan for $10 or less after savings. |
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"Healing Fractured Communities: Coming to Terms with Systemic Trauma" Webinar for APA Heritage Month! |
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Wednesday, May 19th at 3:00pm ET/12:00pm PT While the U.S. has made public health strides with vaccinations on the rise and COVID-19 cases decreasing, the harsh reality is that anti-Asian/BIPOC violence has been increasing. It has been a year since our first discussion titled, “Lessons from the Past: Yellow Peril in COVID-19 Times,” but there is no relief in sight. A brief historical review of the anti-Asian campaigns in America that whipped up public favor for the prohibition of Chinese and Japanese immigration and the mass incarceration of people of Japanese descent during WWII brings us to where we find ourselves today. In this program, Shirley Ann Higuchi, JD; Dr. Satsuki Ina, and Dr. Arthur Evans will discuss the links between systemic racism, cross-communal trauma and how all mental healthcare workers can make a difference today. In closing, David Inoue, Executive Director of the Japanese American Citizens League, and Maysa Akbar, Chief Diversity Officer of the American Psychological Association will reflect on the discussion and consider steps we can all take. |
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"Our League of Dreams - Documentary of the JACL" Fundraiser |
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JACL National and film producer Lane Nishikawa have agreed to work together to produce the first educational documentary film about the 90-year history of the JACL.
OUR LEAGUE OF DREAMS received a $25,000 Japanese American Community Foundation Grant Award through the assistance of the San Diego Chapter JACL. This will cover the costs of shooting in the first five cities. We need your help to meet our production budget goals. Lane has mapped out seventeen cities that he would like to shoot interviews. Your individual donation or JACL Chapter donation will go a long way towards helping us achieve our goals. We will make sure that your names are prominently highlighted in the end credits of the film.
Once the film is completed, JACL National and Lane will work with any JACL Chapter that wants to hold a public film screening event in their city to fundraise for their chapter, to educate their youth, and network to new audiences for potential new members. |
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2021 JACL National Convention Updates! |
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Due to the ongoing safety issues presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the JACL National Board has decided to postpone a physical convention until at least the Summer of 2022. In the interim, JACL National will be conducting a virtual convention hosted this coming summer, July 15-18, 2021. The virtual convention will include National Council sessions, as well as the usual breakout sessions and workshops that are hosted during convention. More information around the virtual convention and registration will be announced soon! For Convention Committees, Chapters, and Members: Credentials, Resolution, and CBL Forms are now available on the JACL webpage! You can find them below along with the guidelines and due dates for each form! |
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JACL Organizational Sign Ons |
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JACL Anti-Hate and Hate Crime Resources For resources, toolkits, articles, and more about anti-hate programs and hate crimes, you can visit our page on JACL.org by clicking the link below. |
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JACL Young Professionals Caucus -Professional Development Contact List Survey |
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The Young Professionals Caucus (YPC) is an affinity group within the JACL for self-identifying young professionals and provides a space for sharing experiences, building and deepening relationships, and collective growth through monthly virtual community spaces, innovative inter-chapter programming, and open forums for uplifting advocacy, resources, and encouraging direct action and dialogue. We would appreciate you completing this survey about your current and past professional and individual experiences. We plan to compile an internal contact list for our members and potential/future members. Your participation in this survey will help YPC develop future programming. Providing information is voluntary and the information collected will only be used internally within JACL. The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete. |
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H.R. 40 Updates and Join in Support |
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Last Wednesday, April 14, the House Judiciary Committee voted for the first time in the bill's 30 year history to advance H.R. 40 to the House floor for a full vote! This is a monumental step in bill's life and a start towards righting another wrong in our nation's history. JACL Executive Director, David Inoue, discusses JACL’s support of H.R. 40. H.R. 40 would create a commission to examine the institution of slavery, its legacy, and make recommendations to Congress for reparations, beginning a process of repairing and restoring after centuries of enslavement. Click the image above to watch the full video statement. |
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Book Event! "Facing the Mountain:
A True Story of Japanese American Heroes in World War II" |
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About the event: Join Densho on May 11 for the official launch of Facing the Mountain, a new book about WWII Japanese American incarceration and the 442nd RCT by Daniel James Brown, NY Times bestselling author of The Boys in the Boat. The virtual event will feature a conversation between Brown and Densho Executive Director Tom Ikeda, who has conducted oral histories with many of the men highlighted in the book. Facing the Mountain grew out of conversations Brown had with Ikeda in 2015. About the book: Facing the Mountain is an unforgettable chronicle of wartime America and the battlefields of Europe. Based on Brown’s extensive interviews with the families of the protagonists as well as deep archival research, it portrays the kaleidoscopic journey of four Japanese American families and their sons. While some fought on battlefields as members of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, others fought to defend the constitutional rights of a community. Regardless of where their battles played out, these individuals were exemplifying American patriotism under extreme duress by striving, resisting, standing on principle, and enduring |
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Intergenerational Trauma of Japanese Americans Webinar and Discussion hosted by San Diego JACL |
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"Black + Japanese Reparations" Virtual Event Series and Book Club |
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Help find a Bone Marrow Match for Paul and Kazumi! |
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